Quoth the Raven....

The Estate, Sidra, Glacia, Saturday Evening (Fandom Time)

With all the time differences between Fandom and Glacia, not to mention time spent in other worlds, keeping track of just what day it was could just be asking for a headache. So Raven was very much surprised when one of the staff told her she had visitors, and even more surprised when she went outside and found the wagon and its occupants waiting for her, bearing birthday gifts.

Much later, after making certain that all her visitors had full stomachs and a place to spend the night, Raven retreated to one of the Estate's sitting rooms, Philia curled at her feet. She clutched some of her presents to her chest as she read and re-read the letters from the children. She wasn't crying. The sitting room was just dusty, that was all.

[Open for those in Glacia or text/phone calls, but it's late, so SP will be in effect!]

//Something in your eye, hm?// Jono looked maybe the faintest bit amused through all of the tired that he'd been tamping down lately, as he stood in the doorway to the sitting room, arms crossed over his chest, small wrapped box in one hand. //We'll have to talk to the hearth witches about cleaning this room more thoroughly. Evening, Sunshine. I noticed you had company earlier, and didn't want to interrupt, but if you're too busy now for one more visitor...//

Raven dabbed the edge of her sleeve at the corners of her eyes and set down the letters, smiling at Jono. Her heart was swelling with so much love and joy that she hadn't been able to hold back happy tears.

"I always have time for you," she said. "And yes, it is a bit dusty in here, is it not? But the estate is so large that I cannot fault them for not having each and every room immaculate."

//Well, then I suppose we can let them off the hook just this once, hm?// Jono made his way into the room slowly, so as to not startle Philia, and crouched down for a moment to let the dog sniff at his hand before smiling back up at Raven. //I hope you had a lovely day, Raven. You deserve those every now and again, after all. Your birthday seems a good time for it.//

Philia had lifted her head, ears perked and alert, when Jono had appeared in the doorway, but relaxed when she recognized him. She'd lost a lot of her fear and distrust under Raven's care, though she was still wary and startled easily. She huffed at Jono's hand and dropped her head back down to her paws.

"It was a very good day," Raven said. She picked one of the many gifts from the basket at her side -- the rest were filling her room at the moment. "The children from several of the orphanages made these for me. I can feel the love in them."

//Paper dolls, hm?// Jono gave a little nod of approval as he looked over the toy. //You've done a lot for them, Sunshine. I'm not surprised they're so eager to show you they care. They can't praise you enough, when I get the opportunity in edgewise to get down to teach them a bit of self-defense.//

Because in Kaeleer, it certainly couldn't hurt.

//You're handling it better than I did on my birthday,// he added, a touch wryly. //I hid.//

Raven's cheeks turned pink at that memory. She hadn't know what exactly came over her then, but she had thoroughly enjoyed it.

"I had not even remembered it was my birthday until the children arrived," Raven admitted. "I think Momoko was behind it, as there was a gift from her as well. There are so many letters and drawings and cards -- it may take me a week to go through them all."

Hannibal smiled as he came to stand in the doorway. "I'm afraid I didn't know it was your birthday until Jono mentioned it to me." So she'd just get what was to be her Christmas gift now, and he would have to buy another. "I thought I might visit and bring you this in person." He held out his own small box.

Along with the present, there was a card:

To a complex, beautiful lady:

In the legends of the people this comes from, Raven is a benevolent creator deity and a protector of humanity. And also a trickster who would test and punish those who needed it, and a prideful being who is occasionally selfish or silly. Even gods are not required to be all one thing, and they and the world are better for it.

Philia tensed and a low growl began in her throat until she recognized Hannibal. Raven reached down to scritch her behind the ears and calm her. "Shhh, it is all right, it is only Doctor Lecter," she said soothingly.

She turned her attention back to Hannibal. "Thank you," she said, accepting the box. "A visit from you is present enough. This is merely an approximation of the date of my birth -- time is measured differently in Azarath, but the 13th of December was what I roughly deduced it to be in my mother's world."

She read the card first, turning that over in her mind. She'd never considered herself a trickster, but punishing people...yes, she'd done that.

Opening the box, she smiled happily. "Oh, this is lovely," she said, gently tracing the carvings with one fingertip before slipping the bracelet on her wrist, holding it up to admire it. "Thank you, Doctor Lecter."

"You're very welcome." Hannibal dug a small piece of jerky out of his pocket and held it out to Philia, letting her sniff it and his hand first. "And it seems as good a day as any; the purpose is to celebrate your life, and everybody should have one of those, approximate or not."

Philia sniffed at Hannibal's hand and accepted the jerky happily. She had already learned that this one was a friend to her mistress, and the treats helped a lot to help her get past her instinctive distrust of men.

"Fandom was the first place I had a birthday celebrated," Raven said. "There were no such things in Azarath, of course. I have come to enjoy them, though I know others do not like the reminder of being a year older."

"I can't help but notice a wagon full of presents roll up to my front door," Karla said from Raven's doorway. She was trying to sound cross, but her eyes were twinkling. "Rude. I hate being outclassed."

"You would do well to remember I have an army of toddlers at my command now," Raven said. "And they are terrifying in their abilities."

She waggled one of the dolls at Karla, fairly certain the one with the crown was supposed to be the Queen herself.

Philia got up and stretched her legs, then padded over to Karla and looked expectantly at her. The pretty golden one used to make treats appear out of nowhere for her, but she hadn't done so for awhile.

And it was the very worst, wasn't it, Philla? Karla missed being able to do that, too. So much. So, so much.

Granted, she was pulling a treat out of her pocket to give to her, but it wasn't the saaaame.

"An army of toddlers, hmm?" she asked, winking at Raven even as she continued to scratch Philla's velvety ears. Greeting pets should never be rushed. "You're not inciting them to revolt, are you? I don't think I could handle losing Glacia to Toddler Treason."

Treats from a pocket were just as good as ones that appeared out of thin air! The pretty golden one was the best!

"Well, as long as I am kept happy, then you have no reason to fear them," Raven said as Philia munched on her treat. "And you only must do so until they become teenagers, at which point I am sure they will have no time for me and my fiendish plans."

If the pretty golden one had had her way, Philla would be roughly spherical and unable to do more than waddle. It was probably best that Nemit had taken the place of Cora's birdie in the girl's heart, or Karla would have likely ruined him, too.

"By the time they're teenager, I'm sure they'll be able to come up with their own reasons to riot and revolt. That's what teens do, that, and running off to get themselves killed at the tiniest provocation."

Well, that's what they'd done as teens. Which they no longer were. Which reminded Karla of the real reason why she was here, besides her never-ending quest to buy Philla's affection with treats.

"So, I hear happy birthdays are in order?" she teased. "I'm not supposed to tell, but Ermengarde's taken some time out of Winsol preparation to cook you some kind of amazing dinner. Shh, be surprised."

"I will do my best to appear so," Raven said solemnly. "And I will be very happy to enjoy it, so long as it is truly no trouble for her. I know Winsol preparation can be very time consuming."

She leaned back in her chair and gestured to the basket of gifts beside her. "And yes, it is my birthday," she said. "Momoko seems to have unleashed a flood when she asked if some of the children could send me a note of good wishes."